Bottle carrier



p 1953 H. v. BOLDING 2,652,968

BOTTLE CARRIER- Filed July 2, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l Hubert Sept. 22, 1953 Filed July 2, 194

H. V. BOLDING BOTTLE CARRIER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. V. BOLDING BOTTLE CARRIER Sept. 22, 1953 4 Sheets+$heet 4v Filed July 2, 1948 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 BOTTLE CARRIER Application July 2, 1948, Serial No. 36,613

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates broadly to collapsible cartons and has particular reference to a carton for use as a bottle carrier.

An object of the invention is to simplify an arrangement of this type from the standpoint of both manufacture and use, providing a carrier formed from a single blank sheet of flexible material which can be quickly and easily assembled on a standard box-making machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a carrier of this type, and constituting a portion of the original blank, partition walls which when the carrier is assembled form individual cells for receiving the bottle load for which the carrier is intended. Bearing on this particular phase of the invention, an important feature resides in the fact that the carrier per se and the handle are separate and independent elements, the handle being disconnectedly engageable with the carrier at will and embodying a portion which forms one partition of the cellular tray or carrier arrangement and other portions which reinforce and rigidify other of the partitions forming the individual cells.

An important phase of the invention resides in the manner in which the tray or bottle receiving portion of the carrier is constructed whereby it may be shipped in flattened condition in stacks and readily opened from such collapsed condition by simple pressure on the end walls, such pressure resulting in the transmission of the force to various points of the walls and bottom which insure rapid and accurate opening into cellular form without exerting any undue stress at individual points which would result in possible rupture.

Still a further important desideratum of the invention resides in the manner in which the handle is disengageably connected with the cellular bottle carrying tray, permitting insertion of the handle prior to unfolding the tray from its collapsed condition and subsequent collapse thereof without disengaging the handle. The engaged handle interferes in no way with collapsing or setting up the carton.

Still another phase of the invention resides in the particular manner in which the handle is engaged with the tray so that it is permitted a limited vertical movement, the top of the handie at the lower limit of handle movement 00- cupying a position below the tops of the bottles constituting the tray load, thus facilitating the stacking of loaded carriers one upon the other without interference in any way from a projecting handle and eliminating the need for bending and distorting the same when stacking the trays.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures and wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates the blanks from which the tray and handle portion, respectively, are formed;

Fig. 2 is a plan View showing an initial step in setting up the tray;

t Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a subsequent S D;

Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the formed handle member;

Fig. 8 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the tray fully formed and in collapsed condition;

Fig. 10 is an end view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section showing the handle member inserted into the collapsed tray;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a loaded tray with handle inserted;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section of the handle and opened tray assembly;

Fig. 14 is a transverse section through a loaded carrier, and

Figs. 15-21 illustrate a somewhat modified form of the carton.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the blank from which the tray or carrier portion of the invention is formed is broadly designated by the numeral it and the blank from which the handle is formed is broadly designated by the numeral l2. Both blanks are formed in a single operation which die cuts the full outline of the blank from a strip of flexible material and at the same time forms the score lines by which the various adjacent component sections of the structure are flexibly connected to one another.

The carrier blank it comprises a bottom composed of sections i l and I6 flexibly connected to one another, or separated from one another to describe the structure differently, by a score line it. Flexibly connected to the outer or side margin of bottom section it by score line it is a side wall 22 and similarly connected by a score line 2:3 to the outer or side margin of bottom section it is another side wall 26.

It should be noted that the blank is identical in every respect on each side of score line it Which divides the bottom into component sections, a factor which eliminates considerable waste in die cutting and forming the blanks from strip of flexible material. Flexibly connected by score line 28 to one end margin of side wall 22 is an end wall section 30 to which is flexibly connected by score line 32 a longitudinal partition section 34. Adjacent the outer margin of section 34 is a transverse partition section 36 from which a tongue or tab 384s diecut; score or fold lines-40 and 42 at eachend of the tongue 38 flexibly connecting transverse longitudinal partition sections 36 and 34, respectively.

Tongue 38, by virtue of this arrangementof score lines, constitutes an integral portion of the longitudinal partition 34. AxlapijointlsectionM is flexibly connected by SOOYQ'II'IIIGZABWOthB OUtBI margin of partition 36, one face of "the section" being coated with adhesive.

To the other end margin of'said'wall 22' another end wall section is flexibly connected by score line 58, and flexibly joined to the outer margin of such end section-b score line' 52 is another longitudinal partition section 54. Another transverse' partition section 55 is flexibly coupled with section 54 by spaced score lines 53 and 6!! between adjacent ends of which is die-cut a tab62 whichforms a-nintegral pertionofsection 54. A lap'joint. section 64 is: flexibly connected by score line 65 with-thecuter margin of section 55 and, in the view afforded by Fig. 1, the under face of joint sectionQkiscoated-with adhesive. In like manner the: under faces of longitudinal partition sections 3 and M, or at least a portion thereof-,are coated with adhesive.

Sections identical inevery respectwith those which have just been describedas extendedfrom and connected flexibly to the opposite end-margins of side wall 22. are. similarly. disposed with reference to opposite endmarginswoi side wall 26 and are designated by corresponding prime numerals. A web isflexibly. connected: to-one end margin of the composite bottomzcomposed of sections i4 and lfi which web-is divided into sections 68 and .10 by a slotilzinalignmentwith score line [8 which divides the-bottom into. its component sections. Websections 68eand; 13 are flexibly connected,- respecti-vely, to-. the inner margins of end wallslt-and- 48 by score lines i4 and 16. These sections are divided by diagonal score lines 18 andim, that portion of each section lying between the adjacent bottomsection and its score line being coatedwith-adhesive.

Handle memberlZ. is composed ofv substantially identical component sections 82 and 84 separated by a score or. fold line 86. Flaps-88 and 88' are die cut from each section, but remain flexibl secured thereto by means ofscore lines 90. and- 9%. The lower. portion. of each section is die cut to provide central tongues t2 and 92 and identical side; sections 94,-. 94'- and 96, 96'. each side section so formed being provided with hook sections 93 :andlilfi. and 98 and H30. The'central tongues 82 and-92' are separated from their' respective adjacent side sections by slots I132 and-HM and I02. and E04, respectively.

The two sections 82- and- 84 are folded'about score line 38 to form a double-thickness handle element, the two. sections being adhered toeach other by adhesive depositedeacrosssthe inner. face of one of the sections-along a strip-lying between the closed ends of slots I82, etc, andthe die cut flaps 88, etc. Thus-when the handleis formed'the two thicknessesiof which the same is composed are free from each other except for the adhered strip in the location described, constituting approximately the midsection of the handle element. It will be noted from Fig. 7 that the side sections 4 and project somewhat beyond the ends of corresponding side sections 94 and 93. The reason for this will be more clearly set forth hereinafter.

Referring now to Fig. 2 wherein an initial step in forming the tray or carrier portion of the assembly is illustrated, the longitudinal and transversepartition sections in the upper portion of the layout are doubled back over fold lines 32 and 32.,respectively, and. the sections on the lower side ofrthe'layout' are doubled over fold lines 58,

andi58, 3E3; respectively, to assume the positionillustratedinFigs. 2 and 5.

The lower sections as they appear in Fig. 2 are then folded about score lines 50 and 50, the web sections 68 and 10 during this operation folding about theinterruptedscore line which separates them from bottom sections it and IE, to assume the position illustrated in .Figs. 3 and 6. In this position it will be noted that the adhesive coated faces of lap joints 44, 44' and'M, G4 lie against what is to be the inside face of side wall sections 22 and 26. These lap-joint sections are now adhered by the application of pressure and/or heat and the adhesive-coated portions of sections 68 and lc are adhered in the same manner to what is to be the inside face of bottom wall sections [4 and I5, respectively.

The portions of the partially assembled tray lying on-each side of fold-line [8 which separates bottom sections l4 andl6 are then folded about fold line It. The adhesive-coated portions H35 and ItSof longitudinal partition sections 34 and 54, respectively, are then adhered to-corresponding portions of longitudinal partition-sections 31', and 54 by the application of. heat and/or pressure. The tray or. carrier portion of the assembly is then complete and in. collapsed position, as it-is on completion of the forming operation heretofore described, and assumes the position illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10.

Preferablyhandles areinserted in the collapsed trays prior to shipment in bundled stacks of such composite units. However, if desired, the trays and handles may be separately. stacked and bundled and the hand es inserted by the bottler prior to loading. Insertion of the handle into a collapsed tray is most readily accomplished by first-bringingthe downwardly projecting portions of end sections 94 and 9.5 into contact with the integrated longitudinal partition sections 34, 34' and 54, 54' and separating adjacent walls 82 and 34 of. the composite handle so that sections 94 and 96'move down on one side of the inte rated lon itudinal partitions and sections 94' and 96 move down the opposite. side thereof.

Slots. I02 and HM receive transverse partition sections 36 and 36 and slots I02 and I04 receive transverse partition sections 56 and 56. The double thickness finger formed by finger sections 92 and 92 moves down between the transverse partition sections and hooks 98 and 98 engage in the openings in the transverse partition sections 36 and 36' formed by the movement of tongues 38 out of the plane of such partitions during the assembling of the tray. The hooks I00 and [00' are received in the slots similarly provided in transverse partitions 56 and 56' by movement of tabs 62 and 62 out of the plane of the partition during the assembling operation.

From the collapsed position illustrated in Figs.

9, and 11 the tray or carrier is readily opened by the exertion of end pressure along the line of juncture between end walls 30 and 30' and the line of juncture of either side wall 22 with end wall 48 or side wall 25 with end wall 48', particular reference for purposes of readily understanding this movement being made to Fig. 10. It should be understood that the handle is preferably inserted in the carton when in collapsed condition, as illustrated in Fig. 11 and heretofore described, prior to opening the carrier for reception of bottles.

The pressure exerted at the juncture of end wall sections so and tends to flatten these end wall sections to form a composite end wall. At the same time pressure is transmitted through the adjacent integrated longitudinal partition sections to the adjacent transverse partitions which are, respectively, permanently secured by adhesive to the side walls of the carton. The resuit is that the side walls spread and the two composite end walls are forced into position simultaneously with the movement of the transverse partitions into proper position and the fiattoning of the two bottom sections as the side walls are spread, thus forming a single composite bottom. The positive connection between end wall sections it and t?! and the composite bottom sections M and it through web sections 88 and it facilitates transmission of force resulting from the aforesaid end pressure to the various elements and, in addition, the web sections hold the tray in set up position until bottles are inserted or loaded.

Thus it will be seen that in the form illustrated there is a pair of cells at each end of the carrier formed by the wall structure and partition structure of the carrier itself and a single wide cell extending transversely across the central portion of the tray which is divided into a pair of adjacent cells similar to the end cells by means of the depending finger portions 92, 92' of the ban-- die. The integrated longitudinal partitions of the end cell pairs are reinforced and rigidified by the overlying end sections of the handle.

When the tray with its associated handle is m6, "if:

the same. The upper limit of sliding move ment is reached when the hook portions of the 1 handle are at the upper limit of these slots and sliding movement in a downward direction may be limited either by engagement of the longer end sections 96 and 95 of the handle with the bottom of the ray or by abutment of the transverse partitions against the upper ends of handle slots W2, W2, its and Hit of the handle, or by both clearly illustrated in Fig. 13.

It will be observed from Fig. 14 that the flaps 88 and 83 are adapted. to be moved into a plane normal to that of the handle to facilitate engagement of the fingers in the opening provided thereby for lifting a loaded carrier. In Fig. 14 the handle is shown at its lower limit of movement and it will be noted that the upper margin of the handle is below the top level of the bottles which constitute the load. This feature greatly facilitates stacking one loaded carrier on another, since the bottom of each upper loaded carrier finds full support on the tops of the bottles in the lower carrier without in any way requiring deformation or twisting of the handle. Also it is to be noted that the flaps 83, 88 are of such size that, when moved into finger-engaging position as illustrated in Fig. 14, in which the flaps lie in a plane normal to that of the handle, the flap itself is not distorted by contact with the adjacent bottle necks.

It will be noted that the upper margins of transverse partitions 35, 36, 5t and 56' as illustrated are tapered as indicated at i ii]. By virtue of this taper the longitudinal partition sections as, 36, 54 and 5 may be somewhat higher than the side and end walls of the carrier. This feature is very desirable for maintaining stability and strength for carrying purposes when the height of the side and end walls must be reduced for some reason, such as to conform the height of the outer carrier walls to that of the walls of a larger container in which a. plurality of carriers are to be loaded.

A feature of importance resides in the distribution of stresses when supporting a loaded carrier by the handle. Each of the four hooks 28, 93, Hit and Hit of the handle engages a separate transverse partition to support the load and the stresses so set up are transmitted from them through the integrated composite longitudinal partitions and to the side and end walls and to the bottom. These stresses so transmitted react against the rigidity of the load or bottle and at no point is there a sufficient concentration of stress to cause rupture of the carrier. This stress distribution is an important factor in assuring long and useful life to the assembly as a whole and permits the use of lighter weight material than would otherwise be possible.

Largely by reason of this distribution of stresses it is possible to carry less than a full bottle load, six bottles in the carton shown, without mutilating the carton or tilting to a degree where the bottles would fall out. Thus the carton is serviceable for from one to six bottles, even to the extent of carrying three filled bottles on one side while the opposite side is empty.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 15-21, the reinforcing and rigidifying web sections composed of adhesive coated portions lit and H0 and sections l 12 and 5 i2 flexibly connected, respectively, by score lines Hi and lid are joined to the margins of transverse partitions H6 and H6. Fig. 15 corresponds to the blank of the earlier described modification shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings except that the blank is broken 01f transversely across the side and bot-- tom walls, the upper and undisclosed half of the blank in Fig. 15 being identical in every respect gith the upper half of the blank illustrated in As in the earlier described embodiment, the bottom is composed of component sections H8 and H8 separated by score line 29. To the margins of the component sections constituting the bottom are flexibly connected side walls I22 and I22 separated by score lines i2 5 and 124'. End walls I25 and 26 are flexibly connected to the margins of the side walls by score lines MS and I28, respectively, Longitudinal partitions i353 and i353 are flexibly connected to the end wall margins by score lines I32 and 32, a portion of the under faces of these partitions being coated with adhesive as indicated at H t and 35.

The transverse partitions i it and i it are flexibly connected to the margins of the longitudinal partitions by separated forming the tabs I36 and I36 whichareintegral with and constitute a portion ofthe longitudinal partitions I39 and IN as heretofore-described. Lapjoint sections E38 and'ISB coated with adhesive onone side as indicated are flexibly joined to the'margins of the transverse partitions by score lines I40 and I40.

In Fig; lfitransverse partitions H6 and H have'been folded about the score lines-which flexibly connectthem to longitudinal'partitions I36 and IN and the entire section on each side of theblank has been folded-about score lines I28 and I28to thus bring the adhesive coated surfaces of the lap joints I38 and I38 in contact with the inside face of side walls 122 and. I22. As in the case of'the earlier described embodiment, the lap joints i323 and i38, together with the lap joints at the opposite ends of the blank, and not described herein because of their identity with Fig. l, are pressure and/or heat sealed. The arrangement of the sections as described in corn neotion with Fig. 16 is clearly shown by the end view in Fig. 17. At the same time the adhesive coated surfaces Ill andIIii of the web sections are pressure and/or heat sealed to an intermediate portion of the component sections H8 and H8 of the bottom at points'intermediate their lengths.

The duplicate side sections lying on opposite sides of the score line 26 which flexibly connects the component sections forming the bottom are then-folded about score line I26. The adhesive coated portions I34 and I34 on longitudinal partitions I30 and I30 are brought into contact, as are the adhesive coated portions of the longitudinal partitionsections on the upper and undisclosed portions of-the blank, and are pressure and/or heat sealed. The resultant carton in collapsed iorm is illustrated in elevation in Fig, 18 and in section in Fig. 19.

The unfolded or uncollapsed carton, with handle inserted as described in conjunction with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-14, has been shown in longitudinal section and transverse section, respectively, in Figs. 20and'2l. As will be seen particularly from Fig. 20, the reinforcing and rigidifying webs are secured flexibly to transverse partitions rather than end walls and are secured to the component bottom sections at points approximately central with respect to their lengths. Under some circumstances the rigidiiying and strengthening efiect of the'web so located is tov be preferred rather than the arrangement illustrated in Figs; 1-14.

While I have described the use of simple'score lines about which the various sections" of the blank are folded, it will be understood that interrupted die cuts or any other suitable means-of weakening the lines of juncture may be used.

Variousmodifications of the'arrangement described and illustrated herein which embody the basic principles of thisinvention may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and for that reason I wish to limit myself only within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible cellular bottle carrier formed from a single blank or" sheet material, said carrier comprising a rectangular bottom consisting of two sections foldable into inside face-to-iace'relation along an intermediate score line, side walls hingedly connected to opposed marginsof the bottom, end walls composed of two rectangular sections hingedly connected'to end margins, re-

score lines, a die cut spectively;,of said'side walls, independent web sectionseach hinged on one'edge tothe bottom marginof one end wall section-and on a transverse edge-to the margin of the adjacent bottom section, each-web section being scored diagonally from the corner formed by the intersection of said web'edges, that portion of each web section between the bottom' section and the diagonal score line being permanently attached in face-toface relation to the inner face of said bottom section'wherebycollapsing movement of'the bottom and end walls is resisted after erection of the carton, and partitions between said side walls.

2. A collapsible cellular bottle carrier formed from a single blank of flexible sheet material, said carrier comprising a rectangular bottom consisting of two sections foldable into inside face-to-face relation along an intermediate score line, side walls hingedly connected to opposed margins of the bottom, transverse members in the form of end walls each composed of two rectangular sections hingedly connected to end margins, respectively, of said side Walls, other transverse members in the form of rectangular partitions integral with and hingedly connected to opposite side walls, and independent web sections each hinged along one edge to the bottom margin of one transverse member and scored diagonally from one end of said hinge connection at an angle of approximately thereto, that portion of each Web section on the side of the diagonal score line remote from the hinge connection with the transverse member being permanently attached in face-to-face relation to the inner face of a bottom section whereby collapsing movement of the bottom and transverse members is resisted after erection of the carton.

3. A collapsible cellular bottle carrier formed from a single blank of flexible sheet material, said carrier comprising a rectangular bottom consisting of two sections foldable into inside fa'ce-to-face relation along an intermediate score line, side walls hingedly connected to opposed margins of the bottom, end walls composed of two rectangular sections hingedly connected to end margins, respectively, of said side walls, rectangular transverse partitions integral with and hingedly connected to opposite side Walls, and independent web sections each hinged along one edge to the bottom margin of one transverse partition member and scored diagonally from one end of said hinge connection at an angle of approximately 45 thereto, that portion of each web section on the side of the diagonal score line remote from the hinge connection with the transverse partition member being permanently attached in face-to-face relation to the inner face of a-bottom section whereby collapsing movement of the bottom and transverse partitions is resisted after erection of the carton.

4. A collapsible bottle carrier comprising a rectangular bottle receiving tray comprising a bottom, side and end walls, said tray being divided by longitudinal and transverse partition walls into transversely paired cells at opposite ends of the tray and a single central transverse cell equal in transverse dimension to the sum of a pair, the transverse wall of each cell of each end pair being slotted adjacent its longitudinal partition, and a dual thickness handle approximating the length of the tray comprising lamina-tions separable acrosstheir lower expanse straddling the longitudinal partitions of said transversely paired end cells, each lamination being slotted to re- HU BERT VELMAN BOLDING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Powell June 20, 1939 Goodyear Apr. 4, 1944 Cunningham Dec. 19, 1944 Darragh et a1. Dec. 31, 1946 Smith et al Jan. 25, 1949 Hall et a1. May 23, 1950 Lighter Dec. 26, 1950 

